Sheet feeder



o. L GORE 3,537,705

SHEET FEEDER Nov. s,r 1970.`

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 14. 1968 ,.Iml gr v N C\J Ln f Mmmm Noms, 1970- Q ...GQRE 3,537,705

SHEET `FEEDER v Filed May 14. 196e A *y 4 sheets-sheet z y 59 /IO hun i -1 ,QT'H" o'. l.. GOREy SHEET FEEDER vNov, 3; 1970 4 `Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 14. 196s INVENTOR. owEN 5m MQ! L. GORE ATTO NEYSA United States Patent O1 hee 3,537,705 Patented Nov. 3, 1970 SHEET FEEDER Owen L. Gore, Hillsdale, NJ., assignor, by mesne assignments, to North American Rockwell Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 14, 1968, Ser. No. 729,121

Int. Cl. B65h 5/02; B65g 37/00 U.S. Cl. 271--45 10 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for feeding sheets in sequence from a pile of sheets to a processing apparatus such as a sheet folding device. The apparatus includes two driven conveyors, the second of which is disposed above the first. The apparatus is selectively used in two manners, one requiring the use of both conveyors and the second requiring the use of only the first, lower conveyor. The present invention is particularly concerned with novel means whereby the second conveyor is selectively coupled to the first conveyor to be driven thereby when the second conveyor is in operative position and whereby the second conveyor is uncoupled from the driving means for the first conveyor when the second conveyor is moved into inoperative position.

This invention relates to a sheet feeder, and more particularly relates to a sheet feeder having two superimposed intermittently moved conveyors which is useful, for example, in the feeding of sheets sequentially to a sheet buckle folder. In one manner of use of the conveyors they are drivingly coupled together, lthe first, upper conveyor carrying the sheets to a turn-over station beyond which they are transferred to the second, lower conveyor which feeds them to the sheet processing apparatus. The sheet feeder may also be employed by using only the lower conveyor, in which case the upper conveyor is swung out of the way and the driving means therefor is desirably disconnected from the driving means for the lower conveyor. The sheet feeder of the invention incorporates novel means whereby the drive to the upper conveyor is automatically disconnected when the upper conveyor is swung into its inoperative position.

The above and further objects and novel features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawings. It isto be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views,

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a preferred embodiment of sheet feeder in acordance with the invention, such sheet feeder having upper and lower conveyors, the upper conveyor being shown in its lowered, operative position;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view in vertical longitudinal section through the rear or right-hand end of the sheet feeder as it is shown in FIG. 1, the section being taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in vertical longitudinal section taken in a manner similar to that of FIG. 2 but with the upper conveyor being swung into its generally vertical, inoperative position;

FIG. 4 is a view in end elevation of the apparatus with the upper conveyor in its lowered, operative position, the view being taken in the direction from right to left in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a view in plan from the line 5--5 of FIG. l of the apparatus with the upper conveyor removed therefrom; and

FIG. 6 is a view in plan of the upper conveyor of the apparatus, the view being taken from the inclined line 6-6 of FIG. 1.

General description of construction and manner of operation of the feeder As shown in FIG. 1, the illustrative sheet feeder has a first, upper driven, slightly inclined, conveyor generally designated 10, and a horizontal lower conveyor 11. In using the apparatus in the position thereof shown in FIG. l, a stack of sheets is placed upon the upper conveyor 10 and the top of the stack is pushed forwardly or to the left relative to the bottom thereof so that the sheets are somewhat spread out and lie with the rear or right-hand edges protruding rearwardly or to the right somewhat beyond the right-hand edge of the next upper sheet. The conveyor 10 is driven in such direction as to carry the sheets in the stack thereof to the right and around a turn-over drum '52 at a station 12, the sheets then being fed to the righthand end of the lower conveyor 11 but in turned-over condition so that the now forward end of an upper sheet protrudes forwardly or to the left beyond the forward end of the next lower sheet. The sheets in such turnedover position travel to the exit end 14 of conveyor 11 where they are engaged by further sheet feeding apparatus (nothere shown) which is not a part of the present inventlon.

:The conveyors 10 and 11 of the present apparatus are driven by a geared electric motor 15, the output shaft of the motor being connected to a change speed device in the form of a double V-pulley 16, one groove of such pulley lbeing connected to the geared motor driving shaft by a belt 17 and the other being connected to a V-pulley 18 by a belt 19. Pulley 18 is keyed to a horizontal transverse shaft 21 which is schematically shown in FIG. 5, the shaft 21 forming a part of a schematically shown unit 22 which includes a further, suction feeder for sheets forwarded thereto by the sheet feeder of the present invention, and an incremental driving device for the conveyors 10` and 11 for such suction feeder. The speed ratio between the driving and driven shafts afforded by the device 16, which is of conventional construction, is changed by a control linkage therefor which is generally shown at 20. The suction feeder and the incremental driving device of unit 22, which are not parts of the present invention, are more specifically shown and described in the application of Stanley T. Stoothof, Ser. No. 729,054, filed May 14, 1968 likewise entitled Sheet Feeder and being assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

In some uses of the apparatus it is necessary to employ only the lower conveyor 11 upon which a stack of sheets is placed, such stack being spread out by pushing the upper sheets forward or to the left so that the sheets in such stack have generally the same relationship that they would have if they had been forwarded to conveyor 11 by the turn-over roll 52 from conveyor 101. In such case the upper conveyor 10 is swung upward away from the lower conveyor 11, the connection between the upper conveyor and the remainder of the apparatus permitting the upper conveyor to pivot about its rear end on the remainder of the apparatus. The conveyors 10 and 11 are drivingly connected together at their rear ends, the driving connection being such as automatically to disconnect the driving means for the upper conveyor 10` from that for conveyor 11 when the upper conveyor is swung into its inoperative position.

Detailed description of the feeder As particularly shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5, the illustrative apparatus has a frame which is made up of two laterally spaced longitudinal horizontal frame members 24 and 25 which are connected by a number of cross members and are supported by legs 26. Secured to portions of the legs 26 which extend upwardly beyond the frame members 24 and 25 at the rear of righthand end of the apparatus are two laterally spaced similar vertically disposed parallel plate members 27 and 29. The rear ends of both the conveyors and 11 are supported by the plate members 27, 29, such end of conveyor 11 being supported by such members through the medium of a cross member 78 between them (FIG. 2), whereas the rear end of conveyor 10 is pivotally supported by a shaft 30 on members 27, 29 through the medium of two similar side plate members 42, 44 which are secured to the rear end of the body of the conveyor 10. The forward end of the upper conveyor 10` is supported by the housing of the unit 22 through the medium of upstanding brackets 31 on the housing, and members 32 aixed to the opposite sides of the body of conveyor 10 and resting upon the upper ends of the respective brackets. The forward end of the lower conveyor 11 is supported upon a cross member 23 extending between the side frame plates of unit 22, and is held down upon member 23 by notched hold-down brackets 28 aixed to the opposite edges of the body of the conveyor and receiving lugs 33 on the opposite sides of the housing of the unit 22.

The upper conveyor 10 The upper conveyor 10 has a body in the form of an elongated rectangular board 34 having a plurality of notched brackets 35 secured to its forward end. The brackets support a plurality of flanged pulleys 36 over which the forward ends of a plurality of tapes 37 are entrained. Such tapes are supported by and slide along the upper surface of the board 34. Conveyor 10 is prolvided with a longitudinal side sheet guide 39 on one side thereof, and a handle in the form of a cross bar 40 secured to the upper ends of upstanding brackets 41 on the sides of the board 34 by means of which the upper conveyor may be pivoted from its operative position shown in FIG. l to the inoperative position thereof indicated in FIG. 3. The rear end of the conveyor 10 has two similar laterally spaced parallel vertical plates 42 and 44 secured to the outer edges of the board 34, plates 42, 44 being secured together in spaced relationship by a number of cross brace or spacer members including members 45, 46, and S9. Member 45 is located at the upper edges (FIG. 2) of plates 42, 44 beneath the board 34; member 46 connects upwardly extending ears 47 on such plates. The member 59 is a cross rod located at the rear upper corners of plates 42, 44 (FIG. 2). The lower edges of the plate members 42, 44 (FIG. 2) are provided with pads 51 which engage the rear edges of the legs 26 when the upper conveyor is tilted into the inoperative position thereof shown in FIG. 3.

The rear ends of the tapes 37 of conveyor 10 run partially about a turn-over roll 52 which is mounted upon a cross shaft 54 journalled at its ends in bearings on the members 42, 44. Upon leaving the turn-over roll 52, the lower run or reach of the tapes 37 travel upwardly and forwardly to pass over an idle roll 55 which is journalled on a shaft 50 extending between members 42, 44. Supported on brackets on the cross bar 46 are a plurality of curved generally rearwardly and downwardly extending guides 56 which retain sheets supported by the tapes 37 substantially in engagement with such tapes as they pass about the roll 52. A second set of curved guides 57 which are displaced laterally with respect to guides 56 as shown in FIG. 4 is also supported by brackets upon cross bar 46 and more closely engages the roll 52 than do guides 56. The lower ends of guides 56 are rearwardly curved and, in the position of FIG. 2", lie immediately beneath the cross rod 59. The cross rod 59 supports the lower rear ends of guides 57 and prevents them from falling downwardly when the upper conveyor 10 is tipped into its upright position, as shown in FIG. 3. Two further sets of curved guides 60 and 61 are supported on fittings mounted upon a cross rod 49 extending between plate members 42, 44, the guides 60 leading the sheets downwardly from the turn-over roll 52, and the guides 61 functioning to lead the sheets leaving the turn-over roll onto the lower conveyor 11.

The lower conveyor 11 The lower conveyor 11 has a body consisting of an elongated rectangular board 64, the upper surface of such board serving to support the upper, operative run of a plurality of laterally spaced driven tapes 65 which convey sheets forwardly or to the left. The tapes 65 at the rear run over an elongated horizontal driven circular cylindrical pulley or roll 66 which is mounted upon and aixed to a shaft 67 journalled at its ends in the upper rear corners of the plate members 27, 29. The roll 66 is driven in a manner to be described, as by the incremental driving and sheet feeding mechanism 22 which is particularly disclosed and claimed in the above mentioned Stoothoff application. At their forward ends the tapes 65 run over an elongated horizontally disposed roll or drum 69, the upper edge of which is disposed somewhat below the upper surface of board 64. Roll 69, which is idle, is journalled by bearings interiorly thereof upon the shaft 70, which is journalled in the side frame members of unit 22, as more particularly )shown in the above-referred-to Stoothoff application. The lower, return runs of tapes 65 run over an idle, tape tightening roll 68 which is journalled an adjustable brackets mounted upon frame members 24, 25. Conveyor 11 is provided with an elongated longitudinally disposed side guide 71 for the sheets, an upper guide 72 at the forward end of the conveyor, and gravity actuated presser rolls 74 which bear upon sheets travelling along the conveyor at locations intermediate the length thereof.

The means for driving the tapes 65 of conveyor 11 and, when the conveyor 10 is in its operative position, the tapes 37 of the latter conveyor, is shown more particularly in FIGS. 2-5, inclusive. A chain 75 at its rear end runs about a sprocket 77 on shaft 67, such sprocket being affixed to the roll 66. The forward end of the chain is entrained over a sprocket 73 (FIG. 5) on shaft 70. The chain 75 and thus the sprocket 77 driven there by are accordingly intermittently moved in their sheet conveying directions. It is to be understood, however, that the sheet feeder of the present invention may be driven in some other manner, such as continuously, in other applications of the sheet feeder.

The selective drive for conveyor 10 As above disclosed, the sheet feeder of the present invention includes means whereby the driving means for the upper conveyor 10 is automatically disconnected when such upper conveyor is pivoted into its upright, inoperative position. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a sprocket 80 is affixed to shaft 54 to which the roll 52 is affixed. As above described, the shaft 30 serves as the pivotal axis about which the members 42, 44 and the top conveyor 10 aixed thereto rotate when they are moved from the position of FIG. 2 to that of FIG. 3 and vice versa. A sprocket 81 is mounted upon shaft 30 for rotation freely with respect thereto. A chain 79 is entrained over sprockets 80 and 81, and also over a spring biased, chain-tightening idle sprocket 8'2. The sprocket 82 is journalled upon a first arm 84 of a first-class lever journalled upon shaft 50, the second, opposite arm 85 of such lever being constantly urged in a clockwise direction in the following manner. The forward end of a thrust rod 86 is guided for reciprocation in a fitting 87 attached to the forward upper end portion of the plate member 44. The rear end of rod 86 is pivotally connected to the outer end of lever arm 85. A coil compression spring 89 is telescoped about the rod 86 and acts between the rear end of fitting 87 and an adjustable stop collar 90 on the rod 86 so as to maintain the chain 79 constantly tensioned by the sprocket 82.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5, a second, laterally inner sprocket 83 is fixedly secured to the shaft 67 so as to rotate with it and the roll 66. Sprocket 83 is located in the vertical longitudinal plane which contains the run 93 of the chain 79 extending between the sprockets 81 and 82. When the top conveyor is positioned in its -generally horizontal, operative position shown in FIG. 2,

the run 93 of the chain 79 engages and meshes with the driven sprocket 83 so that the chain 79, the sprocket 80, the drum 52, and the tapes 37 of the upper conveyor 10 are driven. To permit such meshing engagement of the sprocket 83 and chain 79, the idle sprocket 82 is pivoted counterclockwise against the opposition of the spring 89. When the top conveyor 10` is pivoted into its vertical, inoperative position, as shown in FIG. 3, the run 93 of chain 79 is disposed markedly below and out of engagement with the sprocket 83, thereby disconnecting the drive between the lower conveyor 11 through the sprocket 83 to the upper conveyor 10. In such position of the parts the lever mounting the idle sprocket `82 moves clockwise to tighten the chain and to hold it securely upon the sprockets 80 and 81.

When the top conveyor 10 is pivoted into its upright, inoperative position, the guides 60 and 61 are automatically moved from the position of FIG. 2 to that of FIG. 3 so as to retract them to prevent any undesired interference with the operating personnel. For this purpose the cross shaft `49 is made rotatable, the guides 60' and 61 being mounted upon the cross shaft upon the ttings 91 secured thereto. At one end of the cross shaft 49 there is secured a further tting 92 from which there extends an eye bolt `94. A coil tension spring 95 is secured between the outer end of eye bolt 94 and the end of a further eye bolt 96, the shank of which extends through the cross bar 59 and is adjustably held thereon by a nut 97. When the conveyor 10 is pivoted into the position of FIG. 3, the turn-over roll 52 engages the guides 60 and thrusts the guides 60 and 61 counterclockwise into the position shown against the yielding opposition of spring 95. When the upper conveyor 10 is pivoted into its generally horizontal, operative position, the spring 95 turns the guides 60 and 61 into the position of FIG. 2 wherein the guides 60 are spaced from the roll 52 and guides 61 engage the upper surface of the board 64 between the tapes 65. Sheets traveling over the drum 52 and down the guides 60 are thus transferred to the guides 61 and thence to the conveyor 11.

Although only one embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing specification, it is to be especially understood that various changes, such as in the relative dimensions of the parts, materials used, and the like, as well as the suggested manner of use of the apparatus of the invention, may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as will now be apparent to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. Apparatus comprising a first driven conveyor, a second selectively driven conveyor, said conveyors being connected for pivotal movement relative to each other about a fixed pivotal axis from a first position wherein articles are sequentially conveyed by the two conveyors in opposite directions to a second position wherein articles are conveyed by only the first conveyor, said axis being near adjacent ends of the conveyors, means for driving the first conveyor, means for driving the second conveyor from the first conveyor when the two conveyors are in said first position relative to each other, said last-named means comprising a first driven member on the first conveyor, a second driven member in the form of an endless flexible member on the second conveyor forming a part of a driving train for the second conveyor, and means for mounting said flexible member upon the second conveyor, said mounting means including a first pulley concentric with said fixed pivotal axis and a second pulley at a fixed distance from the first pulley, and said flexible member having at least one slack spari between said pulleys, said slack spari drivingly engaging the first driven member when said conveyors are in said first position relative to each other and being out of driving engagement with the first driven member when the two conveyors are in said second position relative to each other.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first driven member has a generally circular periphery, and comprising a shaft mounting such generallycircular member for rotation about its axis.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first driven member is a sprocket mounted on a shaft drivingly connected to the means for driving the first conveyor, the flexible driven member is a chain, and the spaced pulleys are sprockets.

4. Apparatus for conveying flexible sheets and like articles comprising a first conveyor, a second conveyor, means for mounting the second conveyor for pivotal movement relative to the first conveyor about a fixed axis between a first, operative position above and in general parallelism with the first conveyor and a second, inoperative position, said axis being adjacent the delivery end of the second conveyor and the receiving end of the first conveyor, means for driving the first conveyor independently of the second conveyor, means for drivably connecting the second conveyor to said first conveyor only when the former is in its first, operative position whereby to drive the said conveyors in opposite directions, and means for simultaneously guiding and inverting said articles discharged from the second conveyor onto said receiving end of the first conveyor.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein the first and second conveyors have drive shafts at the receiving and delivery ends thereof, respectively, and said means for drivably connecting said conveyors comprises a sprocket on each of said shafts, a sprocket rotatable about said fixed pivotal axis, and an endless chain mounted on said last-named sprocket and the sprocket on the drive shaft of the second conveyor and operatively engageable with said sprocket on the drive shaft of the first conveyor only when the second conveyor is in said first position.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein the distance between said fixed pivotal axis and the axis of the drive shaft of the second conveyor is fixed and one reach of the chain is slack between its mounting sprockets, and further comprising means for resiliently maintaining the slack reach of the chain continuously taut.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said lastnamed means comprises a lever pivotally mounted on the second conveyor and a sprocket ori a free end of the lever engageable with the slack reach of the chain.

8. Apparatus comprising a first driven conveyor, a second selectively driven conveyor, said conveyors being connected for movement relative to each other from a first position wherein articles are sequentially conveyed by the two conveyors to a second position wherein articles are conveyed by only the first conveyor, frame means secured to each of said conveyors at adjacent ends of the latter, a first shaft extending through the frame means of both conveyors and forming a pivotal connection between the two conveyors, means for driving the first conveyor, means for driving the second conveyor from the first conveyor when the two conveyors are in said first position relative to each other, said last-narned means comprising a first driven pulley on a second shaft mounted on the frame means of the first conveyor and drivably connected to the means for driving the first conveyor, an endless fiexible driven member on the second con- Veyor forming a part of a driving train for the second conveyor and being adapted to drivably engage said pulley, and means for mounting said exible member on the second conveyor comprising spaced pulleys, one of which is mounted on said first shaft, said flexible member having a free span between said spaced pulleys drivably engageable with said first pulley when said conveyors are in said first position relative to each other and out of driving engagement with said first pulley when the two conveyors are in said second position relative to each other.

9, Apparatus according to claim 8 comprising a tightening pulley mounted on the frame means of the second conveyor and engaging the flexible member adjacent said first pulley when the conveyors are in said first position relative to each other, and means constantly resiliently urging the tightening pulley against the fiexible member in a direction to urge said free span toward said first pulley.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the first shaft is disposed generally vertically spaced from the second shaft, and when the conveyors are in said first position said free span of the fiexible member extends from the pulley on the rst shaft to the tightening pulley and meshes with and extends partially around the first pulley.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS RICHARD E. AEGERTER, Primary Examiner U.S. C1.'X.R. 198--87 

